Want to Make a Career Change – Use Zen to Help You

Follow the plan below to guide you through a career transition.

So you need a change, a shift in your career but you don’t know where to start? It’s hard. Stopping what you’ve been doing for years. I went to a class at the Zen Center in San Francisco and learned a simple methodology to guide you through the process.

Before making a change, it’s important to start by understanding that it is an emotional process. Doubt, sadness, regret, and even anger may arise when thinking about your past. To allay these emotions, focus on the divine emotions whenever one of them pops up. Whack a negative emotion with divine emotion.

The Four Brahma Viharas (Divine Emotions)

Metta (Loving-Kindess)
This is a general outlook to anyone. Be positive, be friendly to the universe, and the universe will be friendly back (hopefully)
Kaurna (Compassion)
Be compassionate to yourself and to others around you
We need to reflect ourselves in everyone else and if you can do so, then you share collective wellbeing
Mudita (Sympathetic Joy)
Be happy for others around you – though sometimes this is hard to do. Be joyous in your successe and accomplishments
Uppekha (Equanimity; balance)
Stay steady and balanced. Try not to swing too high or too low

The key thing to remember is that all these emotions are emotions that you are not only capable of, but they’re also emotions you already have. A career transition can spark any of these. Yes, the idea of striving for them is good but we must not forget that we aren’t programmed adversely to these Brahmas, but that they are intrinsic to our natural state). It’s about removing yourself from the chaos that clouds you. “Angry me, hurt me, unhappy me” these are all layers that with practice can be detached and you can reveal your inner bliss. We practice the ability to access the knowledge of these qualities.

Meditation is a means to that access. Meditation is a purifying process, and like other purifying processes, one can experience pain especially during its initial phases.

Here is a chant you can say to help yourself focus on the divine emotions. This is also done the last day of Vipassana.

“May I be filled with loving-kindness”
“May I be well”
“Let me know peace & ease”
“May I be happy”
“May all beings be filled with loving-kindness”
“May all beings be well”
“May all beings be peaceful”
“Let all beings be happy”

Then take time to make a 4 quadrant process to convince yourself of that change.
Row 1 Row 2 Row 3
Make Change Pros Cons
Not Make Change Pros Cons

This will be helpful to clarify why you are making this change.

Then, you can follow a simple process of METTA to start to structure your change. Go ahead and answer these questions.

M (Meaningful)
What’s worthwhile about this change?
How is this the right time?
How does this match my other efforts/needs?
How does it fit into my current conditions in life?
E (Easeful)
Which abilities do I have which served me well?
Which skills do I have which worked well before?
What abilities can I strengthen?
What skills do I need to learn?
T (Tangible)
Who is involved?
What do I want to accomplish?
Identify a location.
Why: Specific reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the goal.
Which: Identify requirements and constraints
T (Time Based)
When?
What can I do today?
What can I do tomorrow?
What I do weeks from now?
What can I do months from now?

A (Achievable)
How much?
How many?
How will I know its achieved?
How is it quantifiable?

Finally, its important to note things that are contemplating, preparing and taking action.

Class was taught by Lien. www.accesstozen.org; joyinzen@att.net